Pizza Marinara Sauce (Windsor Style)

peanutpizzasauce We have all heard of New York Style, Chicago Style, Neapolitan, even Detroit Style Pizza. Each area has it’s own unique take on pizza, whether it is the crust, the ingredients, the method of baking and each has its devoted and vocal proponents. What Makes a Windsor Style Pizza? The crust isn’t too thick like Chicago or Detroit. But it isn’t too thin like a Neapolitan pizza either. It is on the thinner side, if I have to pick. It is always baked with cornmeal, to increase the crispy exterior. The sauce is vibrant, perfectly balanced in sweetness, with a bit of a kick and usually very oregano-centric. The key differences are with the next three ingredients: pepperoni, mushrooms and the cheese. The pepperoni isn’t sliced into rounds. It is julienne shredded. Whether using a machine to do the shredding, or shredding it by hand with a knife, these thin ribbons are key. The reasoning is, when a handful of the shredded pepperoni is scattered over the pizza, you will be guaranteed wonderful pepperoni with each mouthful. The mushrooms are iconic on a classic Windsor Style pizza. They come out of a can. Yep, canned mushrooms. Don’t scoff, or turn your nose up at this. It all got it’s start back in the 50’s when the availability of fresh, farm grown mushrooms wasn’t yet a thing. Pizza makers turned to the only mushrooms they had, the canned variety. But there is a benefit to this. Because these mushrooms are already cooked, sliced and brined, once they are added to a pizza, they won’t shrivel up as the pizza bakes. They hold onto their moisture, which means more mushroom meaty flavour in the baked pizza. Once I realized this, I always ensure that I have a can of mushrooms in the pantry. Windsor pizzas rely on a specific Mozzarella from the Galati Cheese Company. This dairy only supplies the area, so Windsor has a unique hold on this cheese. It has a very high fat content, which guarantees a lovely dairy sweet, stretchy cheese pull with every pizza made in Windsor. Sure, there are other toppings, but the above must occur to be a true Windsor Style Pizza. And the toppings are always added on top of the cheese, never underneath. A classic marinara pizza sauce with the slightest kick, plenty of bright flavour and the hint of oregano. This will work for all your pizzas, stromboli, dipping sauce etc.

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 medium cloves garlic
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
½ tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. Harissa powder or paste
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. ground paprika
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder
1½ tsp. tomato paste
14 oz crushed tomatoes (400 mL)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and cook till just starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the thyme, Italian seasoning, oregano and Harissa as well as the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the paprika, crushed chili flakes, and tomato paste. Stir to coat the onions and garlic.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and butter. Stir well. Drop the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes, until thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese towards the end of simmering. Taste to see if the sauce has a acidic taste (this can happen with some tomatoes) If so, add some or all of the sugar to smooth out the flavour.

Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and stir through the chopped fresh oregano.

Let it cool down and then transfer to a jar with a lid, storing it in the fridge till needed. You should get about 2 cups of sauce. Feel free to double the recipe. This will give you plenty for this recipe, and some to freeze as well.

Makes 2 cups.

Cook's Notes:

For Windsor Style pizza, shred your pepperoni instead of just using slices.
A small can of sliced mushrooms may not seem like a big thing, but boy does it add to the flavour of your finished pizza. The meaty flavour will be intact, instead of fresh mushrooms drying up in the oven.
To get close to the melty cheesy goodness of the Galati cheese that is used on all Windsor Style pizzas, for every cup of grated cheese use ¾ cup high fat pizza mozzarella and ¼ shredded fontina or Havarti.